Mount Carmel Edges T-town at West Frankfort Sectional

WEST FRANKFORT -- Both teams had 17 turnovers. Both teams were a ton on the boards and both teams hit in the 70 percent range from the free throw line. What separated Teutopolis and Mount Carmel Wednesday evening?

Only two points as the Golden Aces pulled out a 66-64 victory in the Class 2A West Frankfort Boys Basketball Sectional.

The lone bad area for the Wooden Shoes was hitting percentage from the field as they connected on only 22 of 59 shots for 37 percent while Mount Carmel hit 52.3 percent on 22 of 42.

Mount Carmel drew first blood as Jackson Marcotte nailed the opening salvo at 7:32 and the races were on. Mitch Hardiek came back with a three-pointer. The score was tied four times in the opening quarter before a bucket by Marcotte gave Mount Carmel a 15-13 first quarter lead.

Brant Bueker's shot to start the second period tied the score . But the Golden Aces' Marcotte was on, connecting on two baskets to push Mount Carmel into their biggest leading margin at 26-21. But here came T-town. Lucas Deters hit a basket and Mitch Hardiek nailed a three-pointer and the Shoes had tied the score.

The lead went back to the Shoes on a basket by Brant Bueker at the 2:48 mark. T-town built on that lead when M. Hardiek put in two free throws and Brock Bueker sailed home a three-pointer and the Shoes were ahead by six. The Aces came back with two baskets to pull within 36-34 but M. Hardiek hit a final bucket and the Shoes led 38-34 at halftime.

T-town held the lead until the five minute mark in the third quarter when Brayden Stipp knocked home a three-pointer and the Aces led 43-42. The lead bounced back to the Shoes as they headed to the free throw line. M. Hardiek and Brock Bueker put in two from the gratis strip and Eric Kremer hit a final free throw and T-town led 47-43.

But back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays by Blake Golden and Marcotte pushed the lead back to the Aces side of the board. T-town came on strong when Lane Belleville hit a three-pointer and Deters put in a rebound basket at the buzzer and the Shoes were within 53-52.

Marcotte started the final quarter like he started the game with a basket. The Aces manged to hold onto the lead and built it up to 64-56 with 2:19 showing. But T-town wouldn't quit. Brant Bueker and M. Hardiek nailed back-to-back shots to pull the Shoes within a basket with 1:19 showing. A Mount Carmel time out didn't halt the Shoes as Blake Mette connected and the game was tied at 64-64 with 42.6 seconds.

Mount Carmel's Justin Carpenter hit with 11.5 seconds. T-town took the ball at the end of the court and brought it across the line and in front of the Wooden Shoes bench when Coach Jason Hanson called a time out with 8.5 on the clock to set up the final play.

Unfortunately for the Shoes, two baskets right under the bucket, one by M. Hardiek and a rebound attempt by Lee Hardiek bounced off the rim and Mount Carmel was a 66-64 winner.

Mount Carmel's Marcotte finished with a double-double. The 6-foot-7 junior hit 10 of 12 from the field and eight of 12 at the line for 28 points and pulled down 13 rebounds. Also in double figures was Brayden Stipp with 17. The Golden Aces started only one senior, Justin Carpenter. Bret Doan and Austin Rager are sophomores while Stipp and Marcotte are juniors.

Teutopolis had three players in double figures. M. Hardiek led the way with 17 points while Belleville added 15 and Brant Bueker 13. Belleville led in rebounds with 10. The Shoes end the season with an outstanding 27-4 record.

Mount Carmel advances to the championship game with a 25-4 mark and will take on Robinson at 7 p.m. Friday for the right to advance to the Carbondale (SIU) Super-Sectional.

Class 2A West Frankfort Sectional

MOUNT CARMEL (66)

Stipp 6-10 5-6 17, Doan 1-5 0-0 2, Marcott 10-12 8-12 28, Rager 0-2 0-0 0, Carpenter 2-8 4-4 9, Golden 2-3 2-5 8, Brown 1-2 0-0 2. TOTALS 22-42 FG (52.3) 19-27 FT (70.3)

TEUTOPOLIS (64)

Bra. Bueker 5-12 1-2 13, Bro. Bueker 2-7 3-3 7, Belleville 5-10 4-5 15, M. Hardiek 5-18 4-4 17, Deters 3-6 0-1 7, L. Hardiek 0-0 0-0 0, Kremer 0-2 1-2 1, Mette 2-4 0-0 4. TOTALS 22-59 FG (37.2) 13-17 FT (76.4)

Mount Carmel             15    19    19    13    --    66

Teutopolis                   13    25    14    12    --    64

3-point  FG -- Mount Carmel 3-10 (Stipp 2-3, Doan 0-2, Rager 0-1, Carpenter 1-4), Teutopolis 7-19 (Bra. Bueker 2-6, Belleville 1-1, M. Hardiek 3-10, Deters 1-1, Kremer 0-1). Rebounds -- Mount Carmel 25 (Marcotte 13), Teutopolis 31 (Belleville 10, Bra. Bueker 6, M. Hardiek 6). Turnovers -- Mount Carmel 17, Teutopolis 17.